Fort Myers, Florida SperlingViews

"Is it a nice place?"

Me and my family are looking to move soon and we are researching some places to find the best one. We currently live in Southern Ohio and are interested in the South Western Florida area. Is Fort Myers a nice place to raise children (I have a 10 year old and one on the way)? How about the cost of living? I am currently in college studying Health Care Administration and my husband has a culinary degree so I was also wondering about employment options. Is it hard to find a job? Would I be able to transfer schools to finish my degree or should I stay here until I finish? If anyone can give me some honest insight it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!!

I was surprised to see Fort Myers' high crime rate. Certainly in some of our areas, the crime rate is high like it is in any town, but I have lived here most of my life (over 40 years) and have never been a victim of any crime. South Ft. Myers has a low crime rate. You want to avoid 33916 and 33905 zip codes and certain areas of 33901. Any low income area with a lot of unemployed people is going to have a high crime rate but most of this crime is same race crimes such as drive-bys, drug crimes, etc.
Fort Myers has a lot to offer and I'm not sure who came up with these statistics of our crime rate being a 9 on a scale of 1-10 but I'm positive these statistics are NOT accurate.

what if you was 63 years old and you was given a pill that puts you in a unconscious state and when you wake you see you have been sexuely assaulted, what would you do, you dont really know, i literally went insain and grabbed the guitar and broke the t.v. and window to make hem call the police when the fort myers police got there i told them i was sexuely assaulted but the damage over powered the assault on me so i was arrested for crim. miscif. and went and spent 5 months in jail, went to court and got. $1483.00in fines and restitution and get this anger-management classes and 1 year probationand become a victem of a assault i have contacted from the sheriff to the washington and i mean ever thing in betweenand there is no help. out there no where i have lost all my freedom and all my beleave in our law system and, now im fixing to have to go back to jail for vilation of probation for failing to comply with probation that is not being able to pay the $1483.00 on my $808.00 a month that i get from soceil secuity disabilityall this is killing me where is there any lawyers at that has a heart for there own family. it hurts bad. pray for me thank youim still confussed not knowing which way i should turn i have always been the man of truth honesty and most of all respect, AMEN

Im 20 yrs old and ive lived in Fort Myers for 4 years now and I'm Itching to get out. the only thing that's keeping me here is finishing the degree that I started in the 1 college they have here. there really isn't much to do except to go to the movie theater bowling ice skating a pet store and maybe the beach if you're willing to drive out to the outer beaches sanibel And bonita springs because Fort Myers Beach is 1 of the ugliest beaches I've ever seen the water is dark greenish blue and the sand is dirty. there arent a lot of jobs that you can find here either unless you've gone to school for years and years. I feel like most of the people that live in fort Myers their families have been living in fort Myers for years and its a cycle that everyone is trying to break but not a lot of people can a lot of people that I talk to always talk about how They want to leave and get out of Fort Myers but only so many actually do mostly because how hard it is to progress in the city the housing is pretty decent a lot of the people that I've met that moved here moved here mostly because the houses were so cheap. as far as the nightlife goes there isn't much going on in the clubs they never really stay in business for too long so everyone is always hopping around from 1 place to the other a lot of people I know go to Miami Tampa or Orlando to party since there really isn't much in fort Myers. 1 of the biggest issues that Fort Myers has to deal with is how horrible the cops are in fort/cape coral area. they are just corrupted on another level and think they can terrorize people just because they have a stupid badge. the judges have no common sense whatsoever theyll sentence a minor for 15 years minimum for something so minor. the trials are dragged on for as long as they can people don't even have a fighting chance because they barely give it any thought when they sentence people and ruin their lives. I feel like it's become routine to them. personally I can't wait to finish my degree graduate and get out of here

The restaurants are overpriced and the food is exceptionally bad, in addition to, insufficient staffs. There are barely any sidewalks. People here seemed to be oblivous to reality as, they don't stop for stop signs or Pedestrians. They said the south is backwards, just never realized it would be to such a degree of backwardsness. The locals are uncivilized, unintelligent animals, or bi-polar bullies. They drive at break neck speed to get to a red light and will act like they are going to smash into you in the process, they must really live in the Nascar moment always. After being menaced by a local redneck, tailgaiting, yelling, gesturing, he finally decided to throw somthing at my car. So, called the law, which kinda knew beforehand was pointless. Am audibly upset and right away the put-out officer says "your being sarcastic to me" whaaa, I can't help you if you speak that way. Then we get to discussing how law enforcement could make so much money by pulling over all these cretens that do 80-90 miles in a 45. I was told they do not do that because they would be putting themselves in danger. What? Why on earth are you a police officer?? Well don't worry cause I will be out there myself being put in danger, you make sure to stay in and stay away from the lawbreakers. (ba haa aack wards) SHEESH. Will be out as soon as humanly possible.

My family and I moved here not knowing much about the area and took a chance as we have family here.
Where do I begin? Well, the jobs are hard to come by. My husband found a job but he was VERY lucky and also very skilled in his line of work. He works his butt off 50+ hours a week and gets no overtime or benefits. But we are thankful he has a job. We came across so many people who said that they needed a job and had been looking for months. There are also many struggling to make ends meet. Unless you have a nice job lined up here, I would fully advise against moving here. My husband said that there are literally piles of job applications at his work.
Cost of Living is high. Food prices compared to other states are insane. The electric Bill in summer will run you $200 to $300+ /month if you live in a house.
The weather is AWFUL for a large part of the year! It is hot and humid all summer and I find it gross to go outside for 15 minutes and be covered in sweat. I have lived in Phoenix and that is dry heat which is more tolerable. The storms, as beautiful as they are, make it even muggier and sticker. But that is the tropics for you.
The crime is VERY HIGH! This year has been one of the worst. Lots of shootings which involve innocent people.
We had a break in a few weeks ago with lots of our belongings stolen. It was the icing on the cake!
High crime areas: Pine Manor, MLK blvd, Ortiz & Palm Beach Boulevard west of the 75.
The people here are quite rude. Some are just plain nuts. We have met some really nice, friendly people since moving here, but they all seem to be from the North and new to Florida. There is an abundance of ignorant, selfish people here (more than anywhere I have lived before) and kids are disrespectful and out of control.
The beaches are not that great unless you go to Sanibel. Fort Myers Beach is nice to visit once but crowded in season. Nothing to write home about. And nothing compared to Miami beaches. So I would advise against moving to Fort Myers city to be near the sea as unless you move to Sanibel or Bonita Springs, you will be disappointed.
My favorite things about living here? The Everglades are not too far and it is so beautiful down there. i have nothing but good things to say about that area. Seeing the crocs in their natural habitat is great. Fishing down there is fun too as long as you know the few spots that yield a good catch. The people also seem friendlier and more down to earth.
The schools in Fort Myers are hit or miss. My son goes to School and I am definitely not blown away. Looking forward to getting him into a school not overcrowded. I have heard from other people that there are some good schools (Edison) but they are hard to get into and have waiting lists.
So to wrap this up, our family (the reason we came here) moved away as they were very unhappy and it really affected their health negatively. Humidity is not so good for Arthritis.
Also, if you have allergies I would steer clear as mine are the worst I have ever had here. I had gone to a few doctors due to a chronic sinus infection only to find out it is because of the climate and allergens here. Only solution in my case is to move out of Florida. And the mold count is high. Its hard to avoid breathing in all that moldy air.
Overall I am unimpressed and can't wait to leave. It sounds like a whole lot of negative but I have tried so hard to like it here. We came here with nothing but hopes that this was the place to settle and raise our family. It is sad, but I wish I had read some of the reviews here before moving, and heeded the advice. I know some people will disagree with my review, which is fine as everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I also think that even though I had a bad experience, someone else might love it here.
But I have learned a valuable lesson when it comes to moving to a new city: Visit a couple weeks, (stay in an extended stay hotel) and experience the city before just moving there.

I spent two years of my life in that crippy town trying to find a good job, but nothing came up. Despite i work in hospitality industry, must of hotels are express hotels or motels where you are exploited, at 8.00 or maximum 9.00 dollars hourly. After two years of being unhappy in that job I saved money, quit and moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where it tool me a week and a half in finding a great job, good pay in a great company. Feel glad to have made this decision.

I am not sure this is the correct website to ask this question, but maybe someone out there can lead us in the right direction. My husband and I live in Minneapolis, MN and are looking for a warm climate to go to for one or two months out of the year. We are not looking for anything fancy but want something decent to probably rent. Does anyone know where we could rent either an apartment or mobile home cheap? I would like to go to the Tampa or Fort Myers area in Florida, but really anyplace warm that is not too expensive. We are both on Social Security so don't want to spend a fortune.
If someone could direct us to a website that could assist in what we are looking for that would be wonderful. I just don't know where to start. thank you.
You can email me at janesteve_nyberg@yahoo.com

I was shocked to read some of these reviews.. I moved to South Ft Myers from Maryland and couldn't be happier. Friendly people, shopping, designer outlets, fine dining, breathtaking sunsets and white sand beaches with clear blue water.. All within a 10 mile radious of my home. What more could you ask for? It's a laid back area.. As for crime, there's a little bad everywhere. South FM is very quit, alot of gated communities. Homes in the mid 200s and up. Guess the bad areas are north of here. I love it..Just my thoughts.

If you are thinking of moving here do not! Unless you are the typical snobbish Snow Bird (6 months here with the "Florida hicks" and then "back home" for the other 6 months). People here are beyond rude, impatient, Entitled a**holes! They drive with this attitude and act this way to your face. We moved to this hellhole a little over a year ago and cannot wait to get the hell out. Crime is outrageous. Drugs. Poverty. Unemployment is rampant. My educated, highly skilled husband has finally (after a year) found employment at a $10 an hour job! Yankees come here and want to hire locals for $8 an hour and then treat them like crap.
The beaches are dirty and ugly. Plenty of bars surrounding Fort Myers Beach too.
Police, local government and public school system are totally corrupt and in it for themselves!
Be Warned. Stay away! Try Lakeland area if you are looking for a small town located between Tampa and Orlando. Very nice.

I came from overseas to live in the Ft Myers-Naples, area and is the worst mistake I could ever make, salaries are very low, there are no jobs, no big companies, economy relies in seasonal tourism after the season your hours are cut, snowbirds, high crime rate, not enough things to do. If you are a young professional I advise you to move to a major city where you can have more employment opportunities and career growth. rent is affordable, but if you don't make enough money, you can't enjoy. I made the decision to move out of state, made it late but at least I made it, and cannot wait to get out of this big ranch.

Fort Myers has a lot going for it: beautiful scenery and constant sunshine; a warm, year-round climate, and fairly low utility costs. It also has very nice people and wonderful restaurants. If you love all the above (along with outdoor activities), then this is the place for you.
Please note though that this area, along with much of Florida, relies primarily on tourism. As a result, jobs are mainly service-related, and not always very easy to get. When the tourist season ends, companies cut back on hours, and steady work is a challenge to get during the off-season unless you are lucky.
My advice to any person of working age considering a move to Fort Myers is simple: make sure that you have a stable, full-time, year-round job with a financially sound company before you move here. Otherwise, don't even think of living here as a permanent resident.
In addition, when considering the area of Fort Myers in which you plan to live, you should certainly do research to determine which parts are nice, and which ones aren't. Failure to do such research can cause serious problems for you.
If you consider everything I have stated, and still want to move to Fort Myers, then my response is: go for it!

Fort Myers has a lot going for it: beautiful scenery and constant sunshine; a warm, year-round climate, and fairly low utility costs. It also has very nice people and wonderful restaurants. If you love all the above (along with outdoor activities), then this is the place for you.
Please note though that this area, along with much of Florida, relies primarily on tourism. As a result, jobs are mainly service-related, and not always very easy to get. When the tourist season ends, companies cut back on hours, and steady work is a challenge to get during the off-season unless you are lucky.
My advice to any person of working age considering a move to Fort Myers is simple: make sure that you have a stable, full-time, year-round job with a financially sound company before you move here. Otherwise, don't even think of living here as a permanent resident.
In addition, when considering the area of Fort Myers in which you plan to live, you should certainly do research to determine which parts are nice, and which ones aren't. Failure to do such research can cause serious problems for you.
If you consider everything I have stated, and still want to move to Fort Myers, then my response is: GO FOR IT!

I've been here over 5 years. I'm leaving. So I bought a condo for $250,000, I am about to short sell it for $75,000. In season, 80% of the people you see are over 70. Otherwise, people are rude, lower class and unfriendly. Unemployment is very high. When construction died so did the economy. There's nothing else to sustain the local economy. Living off snowbirds is it. 70% of children in the county qualify for free or reduced cost school lunch. Crime is all you hear about on the news.The beaches are among the worst in Florida. Summer are brutal, over 92 for 5 months straight with rain and lightening almost every day. If you don't golf or have a boat there's little to do.

Me and my family are looking to move soon and we are researching some places to find the best one. We currently live in Southern Ohio and are interested in the South Western Florida area. Is Fort Myers a nice place to raise children (I have a 10 year old and one on the way)? How about the cost of living? I am currently in college studying Health Care Administration and my husband has a culinary degree so I was also wondering about employment options. Is it hard to find a job? Would I be able to transfer schools to finish my degree or should I stay here until I finish? If anyone can give me some honest insight it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!!

Me and my family are looking to move soon and we are researching some places to find the best one. We currently live in Southern Ohio and are interested in the South Western Florida area. Is Fort Myers a nice place to raise children (I have a 10 year old and one on the way)? How about the cost of living? I am currently in college studying Health Care Administration and my husband has a culinary degree so I was also wondering about employment options. Is it hard to find a job? Would I be able to transfer schools to finish my degree or should I stay here until I finish? If anyone can give me some honest insight it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!!

In an area like Fort Myers, the best way to meet new people and live the lifestyle you deserve is in a developed community.
With major areas so far apart, communities offer a great way to meet new people and maintain an active social life.
We moved from NY over 3 years and have found it to be the best way to go...and they're beautiful.
Visit paseo-ftmyers.com if you're interested, that's where we live!